Past
by Mirsa
Summary: The Shadow Pack invites the Lunar wolves to join them for the night.
1. Chapter 1

The night was black against the flickering flames of the bonfire warming the ramshackle shelter. The snow fluttering past the open cracks between the slabs and blocks of concrete sparkled in the orange light before darting away out of sight. The room was warm, from both the fire and the condensed heat of the gathered packs. The Shadow Pack had more or less openly welcomed the Lunar wolves into their midst. Haruka's saving of the Flower Maiden and her wolves had made it far easier for the Lunar Pack to trust the strangers whose lands they'd entered. As the night had drawn on, the Shadows had begun returning in small groups to their den. Haruka and Dusky had been the lasts to return, and Dusky had quickly read her sister's face and usurped her position to extend an invitation to the Lunar Wolves to join them for however long the pack remained in the Shadows' territory. Wary at first, the Lunars had looked to Kiba and Cheza, waiting for a verdict. Kiba's face was cold and unyielding as always, but a soft word of thanks from Cheza had changed his mind and he quickly accepted.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where did she get those scars on her arms?" Dusky's eyes softened as she stared into the fire. The other wolves from her own pack that were scattered around the blaze remained silent, as the Lunar Pack five glanced around, watching the other pack's heads fall as they too contemplated the flames in their midst. Blue and Toboe were the closest to Dusky, and the youngest wolf's face was openly worried as he watched the young she-wolf's eyes glaze over, their usually happy, gentle light hidden behind a cold, solid mask he had not seen in the girl before.

"We didn't always live here. Me and Haru, we used to have a home you know, away from here, out in the country where it was warm and green. It was just us and Gen and Alam, our mom and dad. It was a small den, right beside a river, underneath an overhang. You had to know it was there or you'd never find it. We were peaceful, only eating when we were hungry, never going after the easy meals like cattle or sheep. We went into town a lot more than most wolves; I don't think anyone knew what we really were, or even suspected. But … accidents happen …." Dusky's voice had grown soft, and even Toboe was having some trouble hearing her next words beneath the winds whipping around the dilapidated building. The Shadow wolves had heard the story enough times they knew exactly what their young leader was going to say next.

"She didn't mean to get seen. It was spring, and the deer were fat and happy after the winter's pickings. It was a beautiful day, and she was happy taking her time after hunting. She hadn't scattered her kill yet, and she just started dozing in the sun patches. She didn't hear them until they'd already seen her, and by then her illusioning just scared them into actually firing. She didn't suffer, we think … the hunters knew what they were doing, even as startled as they were. She went quick; too quick for Dad.

He'd been teaching us herbs, Haru's thing more than mine, but the second she fell he knew. He shoved us back into the den, told us not to move, and vanished. The only clue we ever got was a howl, sometime later, and that was when Haru changed. She used to laugh, smile, play, but once they … left … she suddenly became like she is now. I just went along with it, became the quiet counter-balance to her coldness. "

The fire suddenly blazed as a stray draft worked its way through the meager insulation, stoking the flames with its own fresh oxygen. By now, many of the two packs' members had dropped their human illusions, and the room was varied between human forms and true. The shadows danced over the walls and the somber faces of the wolves gathered within. Even the Lunar Pack was overcome with the weight of grief the young she-wolf's story carried within it. Toboe's throat moved with a silent whimper that Dusky acknowledged with a flutter of her lips in what might have been a smile. The red-brown wolf lay with his head on his paws, facing the fire. Dusky was still in her human form, with knees curled up and wrapped about with her slender pale arms. The young male impulsively turned his head, resting his snout in the girl's lap, which made her stretch her legs to keep from smothering him. Unconsciously she began stroking his fur, causing the amber eyes to close in contentment as she continued with her history.

"We didn't leave the den, but we didn't hunt in our old haunts. Haru made sure we ranged farther than the humans would think, keeping them from guessing it was us, and we almost never brought down big game; rabbits, birds, anything small that wouldn't be missed or noticed. But somehow, no matter how careful we were, it still wasn't enough."

This time Toboe audibly whined when Dusky paused, raising his head and gazing up into her eyes. Years of telling the tale had not entirely wiped the horror-struck grimace from the girl's face as she recounted the blackest part of her sister's life. "They still found us. We ran, faster and further than we ever had, for any reason. But they had trucks, and they followed. I was smaller than Haruka, and she shoved me into a briar patch before leading them away. They … caught her. They were so sure there were others, a pack they hadn't yet found, and they were determined to get it out of her. I didn't see, didn't have to see to know, but I heard …" her thin frame shuddered involuntarily, and Toboe quickly curled his body around her back, trying to comfort her against the memories.

"They beat her with metal whips, all down her back and across her arms and legs. It hurt so bad, Haru couldn't control her illusion; she kept fading in and out of both forms. It only made them angry, so angry they tied her four legs to the back of four trucks and took turns driving first one than another. Her howls hurt me so badly I couldn't move, couldn't even think straight until I couldn't stand it. I screamed. Fortunately, I was in true form, so it came out like a massive howl, louder than what they thought one wolf could make on its own. They thought their torturing just that one wolf had brought out the others, so they cut Haru free and jumped in their machines.

"They nearly crushed me heading in the direction of my echo, careless fools. I heard one of them call to the others that once the pack was decimated they'd come back for the one they'd caught first. They were so sure they were going to get rid of every last one of 'us'. I always wondered what they thought when they returned the next morning, only to find bits of fur and pools of blood where they'd left a tortured wolf. As soon as the sound of the trucks had faded, I forced myself to go find Haru. I couldn't breathe for the smell of her bleeding to death, and she was too weak to illusion. I dragged her unconscious body until I reached a homestead. They had a motorcycle; it was the first thing I had ever stolen. Somehow I hot-wired the machine, tied her to the seat, and never looked back."


	3. Chapter 3

Her voice faded into the stunned silence of the Lunar Pack, all their eyes wide with horror at the tale. Dusky ignored them, instead burying her face in Toboe's thick ruff, breathing in the pure wolf smell of him, besides his own personal scent of cinnamon, pine needles, and spices.

_Most likely residue of his time spent in the care of humans_, she thought slowly as she breathed him in, feeling the young wolf gently push his head up to nuzzle her face. She stared into his amber eyes, holding his head in her hands as she leveled her now-cleared gaze into his. He did not blink or turn away, but simply returned the look with one of his own. Then her human hands faded away, and her paws lay crisscross with Toboe's as their muzzles hovered around each other's. After a moment, Dusky ducked her head beneath the red wolf's, laying it across their joined paws. Toboe draped his across her head and neck, letting her drift into sleep, as he remained the vigilant guardian.

Soon, the other wolves in the room began shuffling about for places to spend the darker hours of the night. Some stayed in human form; those who would trade off guard duty every few hours to make sure the two packs remained shrouded in anonymity. Hige had dropped off soon after Dusky had finished her story, and now Blue rose from her sitting position to go snuggle up to him, laying her head over his back and across the steady rise and fall of his ribs as he breathed. The tan wolf woke slightly as the black she-wolf got comfortable, long enough to whine softly and lick her once before she pushed his head back down with her own, sighing, and falling into sleep as well. Now only the guards, Kiba and Tsume remained in human form. Kiba's eyes had narrowed as he listened to the young female's life story, and the protective alpha instinct rose up in him. Without a sound, the white wolf rose and made his way through the scattered bodies, heading towards the small black square that served as a door on his way to check on his Flower Maiden.

Tsume remained human for quite a while, long enough for two guard changes as he stared unseeingly into the bonfire. He himself had seen the scar marks on Haruka's arms, and figured they came from other fights like the one he'd first met her in. But now, knowing the truth, the marks he vaguely recalled now seemed to him like the cross-shaped scar on his own chest. A symbol of a past better left forgotten. Standing suddenly, his eyes darting over the various members of his own pack, Tsume stalked towards a second black opening, making his way into the small maze of corridors that protected the Shadow Pack from potential hunters. He did not know the way, but he let his nose guide him as he traced the one scent that was becoming ever more familiar.


	4. Chapter 4

The door was hung with a thin, oddly patterned rectangle of cloth that jumped and waved gently in slight drafts. It hung all the way to the floor, pooling against the worn concrete, but through the center-slit cut nearly all the way up, Tsume could see brief snatches of blue and orange light. One he knew was of fire, a necessity for survival in this God-forsaken world. The other, the blue light … he had really no idea as he silently slid his hand through the separated cloth, pulling it apart just enough to allow his lithe body to slide through.

The room looked like a cross between an herb shop and a shaman's tent. All across the ceiling hung crisscrossing lines of thread, supported by the exposed rebar of the collapsed building's structures, and hanging from these threads were multiple, various bunches of plants, all in some stage of preservation. Also attached to the threads were various feathers and talismans, handcrafted, reminding Tsume of the Natives the Lunar Pack had encountered near the Desert's Bones. A naturally round depression in the floor near the center of the room provided a perfect place for a large fire to reside, yet all around the room were hung lanterns, torches, and candles – some lit, others not. The fire's light was the most abundant, but the most noticeable glow came from a bank of computer monitors arranged at the back of the room, furthest from the door. The screens filled the darker corner with their weird, hazy blue light, and it was this light that illuminated the wolf Tsume had sought.

Haruka stood in the midst of the collection, her head turning to observe the data showing on various screens. As his eyes fell on her, Tsume realized the younger she-wolf was wearing an outfit different from what he expected anyone had seen her in. He could only see her from behind, and slightly to the side, but Tsume guessed she was wearing a narrow elastic tube top, the front solid and the back splitting into two thin bands that tied to hold it in place. From her waist down was clad in a skirt, cut at an angle to bare almost her entire right leg and was chained together on her right hip, meaning Tsume could see the entire right side of her body glowing in the weird, conflicting lights. The skirt's hem came almost all the way to the floor, brushing the top of her bare left foot as she shifted, causing the fabric to swing as well. Her hair, normally pulled back in a tight braid, was now loose and flowing in glistening purple waves down her bared back. This prevented him from getting a closer look, as is to prove Dusky's story true, but he could tell her skin was not as perfectly smooth as that of her hip or right leg.

He watched as she reached over to press a button on one of the screens, and his keen eyes immediately picked out the tale-tell lines marking her skin, darker than the rest of her. He stayed perfectly still as she suddenly pirouetted on her toes, skimming over the ground as she made her way to a low table set closer to the fire. Tearing his gaze from the now-fascinating she-wolf, Tsume let his gaze quickly skip over the table, recognizing few the instruments placed on its surface other than a basic grinding pestle and mortar. Her hands darted in and out of the light as she gathered various unknown items into a small, shadowed heap before her. Taking up the mortar, Haruka scraped the pile into it, giving the contents a few swift, sure jabs and stirs with the pestle before she turned to face the fire full on. Now Tsume could see the entire front of her, and now he knew the girl's sister had been telling the truth. Not a scratch marred the front of Haruka's body, save for a single dark line that curled around her neck and onto her right shoulder. By all accounts, she looked perfect, but Tsume had seen up-close and first-hand the dark lines on her arms that he had originally mistook for tattoos or fight trophies. He realized that the furry ruff on the girl's trademark vest was cleverly designed to hide most of the whiplash scar on her neck.

"Why have you come here seeking me?" her voice was so low it startled Tsume out of his thoughts. The young woman hadn't stopped and looked at him as she made her way to a small pot sitting patiently next to the fire. She bent down, emptying the mortar into the black container before setting the bowl aside and taking up a metal stick with a hook on one end. With great precision she hook the black cauldron's handle and maneuvered it onto a metal hook embedded in a great chunk of concrete next to the pit. Swinging it over the fire gently, Haruka set the metal hook back down as Tsume came towards her, watching warily as he stepped into the blazing light. They stood opposite, staring at each other across the flames, their faces blank, but Haruka could read distress in the eyes of the older male.


	5. Chapter 5

"You have not answered. Why have you come seeking me?" Tsume knew he should answer; after all, he had invaded this girl's obviously highly personal space. But the look in her eyes, one that was neither angry nor ignorant, had caught his attention and held him rooted to the spot, unable to speak. Even when Haruka broke their eye contact to stir the cauldron, Tsume continued to watch her with narrowing eyes. She set down the ladle, and began making her way around the fire towards the wolf. He watched her come, and couldn't help but notice the way her hips rolled as she walked, the silent, graceful way she placed her feet as she moved, as if she were stalking something in a forest full of give-away twigs and leaves. Her amber eyes caught and refracted the orange firelight as she glided to his side, looking up into the gray wolf's own golden eyes. She did not have to speak, for he read the invitation in her eyes and followed her back towards the table. Only when she passed the furniture and continued around did he realize that there was a small area strewn with cushions and blankets and padding of all kinds. He slid down to sit beside her as she folded her legs beneath her, a posture that caused the slit of her skirt to expose her right leg to the fire light and Tsume's gaze. Briefly, the wolf wondered if she'd attack him if she caught him eyeing her, but he was quickly brought back to the entire reason of his search for her when she spoke.

"You want to know if what Dusky told you is true." Tsume wondered how she knew, but the sad look in her eyes matched that of her sister. "I could feel you eyeing me across the room, and considering the … housing accommodations we are using, I figured eventually my sister would end up telling your pack of our history. I know it is not something you hear every day, and I'm sure you must have something you wanted to ask me so badly that you would invade my private quarters." The slight grin on Haruka's face immediately put Tsume at ease, a feat that was difficult for the lone wolf. He realized that this Alpha female and he were not so different in the fact that they both bore scars of a past that continued to haunt them. Haruka's grin grew ever so slightly as she noted Tsume's face softening, before she sprang up lightly, padding to where she could safely lift the cauldron away from the fire. Tsume watched as she expertly poured the hot liquid into various containers and sealed them. She gathered the bottles in her arms and made her way to a wall hidden in shadow behind a screen of rubble. Tsume could hear the light clinking of glass, as she no doubt added to an impressive shaman's collection of healing herbs, before she re-appeared on her way to the computer bank. This was surely her specialty in the pack; she had entered whatever data she needed and was on her way back to Tsume before a full two minutes had passed.

"Does it still hurt?" the question caught both of them off-guard - Tsume, because he had not actually intended to ask that particular one, and Haruka, because it was such an odd question even though she knew what he was referring to. Snagging a small thermos off the prep table on her way by, Haruka offered a cup of steaming liquid to Tsume. He could detect several various spices and scents, but they melded together to create a tempting aroma and Haruka tilted her head in amusement as she watched him first taste the brew, then toss the whole thing back, even as hot as it was. She received the container back from him, replacing it on the thermos before setting the container aside, and curling her knees to her chest same as her sister. Tsume could see she was stretching her marred back for his benefit, but he was still not convinced. He had carefully watched her as she moved in and out of the light at close distance, yet her hair still concealed most of the damage.

Haruka made no move when Tsume's fingers brushed over her skin, swiping at the floaty, filmy hair in an effort to see her scars better. He was hesitant to touch her, namely because the last time he had she'd nearly ripped his hand off. But as he reached up to move the hair near her skull, Haruka stilled the motion with her own hand. Eyeing the Lunar wolf, the Shadow Alpha gracefully turned her body until she was kneeling with her back to the fire, her hands braced against her knees. Tsume glanced at the girl; her eyes were locked straight forwards, and he figured this was not something she was proud to show the world, or anyone other than her sister. He knew he might never get such an open invitation as this again, and swiftly he scooted closer to the fire, sitting behind the girl as he reached up before realizing the hair mass was already moving; Haruka herself was pulling the stuff over her left shoulder to allow him a better look. What he saw horrified him.


	6. Chapter 6

Dull black wheals crisscrossed, covering the majority of the she-wolf's back, making random maze-like patterns in the fair skin of her torso. Stunned, Tsume reached out a hand, running it lightly over the black marks. Haruka neither moved nor reacted to his touch, and he wondered.

"Doesn't it feel … odd?" He felt better rephrasing the question, but he was still unsure of the reply.

"No. I can't really feel anything on my back. No pain, no temperature, no shivers. "

"But how? I thought you were only whipped …"

"Apparently the more damage that's inflicted upon the nerves, the less they will actually sense when they heal. As much as my body endured that night, I'm surprised I can even tell when you're touching me at all."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't feel sensations, but I can sense pressure. On certain parts of my back, those little patches of skin you see? That's where I can feel the most, where I'm still the most normal. Otherwise, it's like that sensation you get when your foot falls dead asleep and you try to walk. You can feel the pressure of the floor beneath your feet, but that's it until the foot wakes up. There have been bets that I could actually lay in a fire and never scream because I can't feel the pain or the heat." Hearing her nonchalantly discuss the prospect of self-torture simply because she could not feel it made Tsume's hackles rise with a growl in his chest. Haruka heard the sound and let her hair fall back into its veil over her skin. She turned back to face the fire, and Tsume scooted back up the cushions so he could sit beside her. He tried hard to contain his rage, and wondered a little at such a strong reaction to so small a thing, for someone he barely knew. He felt Haruka's concerned gaze darting over his face, but his eyes were closed, teeth gritted, and his hands were clenched into fists that were beginning to shake from the strain.

Then the cool skin of her hand covered his, and he felt her brush her fingers along his temple and down his jaw line. Cracking his eyes open but a little, his golden orbs glittered with suppressed rage as he watched the young woman, her face spelling out concern for him as her hand felt the tension in his jaw muscles. Her eyes were wondering as she unconsciously slid closer, the hand that she'd laid on his fist beginning to rub the stretched skin of his knuckles in comfort. The hand on his face had come to rest on his cheek, and she cupped his face as he opened his eyes fully. She sat so near to him, yet the only thing her body exuded was concern about the gray wolf's sudden violent reaction.

"Do not war on my behalf. Those who have changed my body have long been rewarded their just dues. They can no longer harm any of our kind." Her voice was soft, whispering as he watched her mouth move and tried to believe her. "Please do not trouble yourself on my account. I am strong. I survived, and I moved on. Please … don't …" with effort Tsume uncurled the fist Haruka had not claimed and brought his hand around to clasp her wrist. Gently pulling her hand away from him, he placed a kiss on the smooth flesh of her palm, their eyes never breaking from the others'.


	7. Chapter 7

The fire had died some but still produced a substantial amount of light and heat, enough to keep the two wolves comfortable. Tsume lay stretched out on his back in his human form, one knee bent and propped against the floor. Haruka lay next to him, curled into his side with her head resting on his right shoulder. His right arm pressed her head gently to his body, making sure she did not wriggle about in her sleep as he slowly ran his fingers through her purple locks. Her left hand was curled up around his neck, keeping his head turned towards her and occasionally he pressed soft kisses to her forehead. Whenever he brushed her skin, a soft whimper escaped her parted lips, and she nuzzled into him as if trying to meld herself to him even in sleep. Tsume felt he could never tire of watching her sleep, and the past few hours melted into a haze.

The pair had enjoyed each other's company long past the dark of the night. Haruka had told of her life, her sister, and her pack and in return, Tsume had spoken of his own circumstances. For the first time in his life he had willingly discussed the origins of his cross scar, all the while unconsciously running his fingers over one of Haruka's arms, feeling the whip scars against her skin. She had read into the action, sensed a great weight hanging over the young man, and had let him ramble on as he pleased afterwards. It was only when he realized that the girl lying next to his sitting frame, with her hands clasping one of his by her head, had quietly fallen asleep that Tsume had ceased his tirade and slid closer to her as he lay down as well. In her sleep, she had sensed his presence and slowly pulled herself into the position Tsume now found them in.


End file.
